Light-on-the-Wallet Boulder Lunches

The Bookend Cafe offers rotating menu of $4.29 daily lunch specials: vegan chili with cornbread on Mondays, chicken tamales on Tuesdays, hearty soupe du jour on Wednesdays, spaghetti marinara on Thursdays and quiche on Fridays. All are house-made. On warm days, the best tables for watching the passing parade on the tree-shaded pedestrian mall are on the patio or at the front of the cafe where the large windows are thrown open. 1115 Pearl St, Boulder; 303-440-6699.